The lead ship Taigei will serve as a test bed for the rest of the class, allowing more rapid technical upgrades to the other submarines within this class. 30FFM frigates In August 2017, the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding (MES) as the prime contractor and subcontractor to construct the frigate. In addition, the agency also selected a completely new design of the vessel (30DX). The new ship class is set to replace the s and s. Amphibious transport vessels At a press conference held on February 16, 2021, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi announced that the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) established a joint amphibious unit equipped with three new transport ships by 2024. This units will consist of one medium-sized Logistics Support Vessels (LSV) capable of carrying about of cargo and three smaller Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) vessels with each capable of carrying of cargo and operating in shallow waters. Although the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has been basically responsible for the operation of the vessels, these vessels will be operated by a joint unit as the focus is on supporting the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and other forces operating in remote Southwest Islands, including Okinawa. The JSDF activated Japan's first marine unit since World War II on April 7, 2018, and the marines of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) are trained to counter invaders from occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea. Next-generation offshore patrol vessels (OPV) On 30 June 2022, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced the construction of 12 offshore patrol vessels (OPV) (pictured) for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at a cost of ¥ 9 billion ($66 million USD) per ship. Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) is the prime contractor for this program with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) chosen to be the subcontractor. Both JMU and MHI as well as Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding had submitted preliminary designs for the proposed next-generation OPVs. Aegis system equipped ships (ASEV) In 2020, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi announced plans to build 2 new Aegis destroyers (pictured) to replace its scrapped land-based Aegis Ashore ballistic missile interceptors program. On August 31, 2022, the Japan Ministry of Defense announced that JMSDF will operate two "Aegis system equipped ships" (イージス・システム搭載艦 in Japanese) to replace its earlier cancellation of the Aegis Ashore program,